Life's important lessons.

Discussion in 'Philosophy and Religion' started by Bilby, Jan 9, 2012.

  1. Bilby

    Bilby Lifetime Supporter and Freerangertarian Super Moderator

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    About 28 years ago I lived in a house with a man who had been duped by the Amway scam. While much of his behaviour peeved me at the time, in retrospect he did effectively - albeit inadvertently - demonstrate how easy it is to be brainwashed. Having control of your own mind is one of the most important things in life.This is why I am against alcohol consumption and taking newspapers too seriously.

    Should I try to get in touch with him and thank him for teaching me such a valuable lesson and also ask him if he has been one of the 1% of Amway zombies to make a profit? He believed his whole future, wishes and dreams lay with Amway.
     
  2. Tyrsonswood

    Tyrsonswood Senior Moment Lifetime Supporter

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    You could ask him if he still sells soap......
     
  3. thedope

    thedope glad attention Lifetime Supporter

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    Question, is asking advice part of controlling your own mind. Sounds like wanting to influenced or reassured.

    I agree with you though, only our own thoughts can hurt us.
     
  4. scratcho

    scratcho Lifetime Supporter Lifetime Supporter

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    I don't think so. If he's successfull,you'll be pissed you didn't join in--and if he got dicked ,you'll just make him feel worse than he already does. Lose-lose-situation,IMO.
     
  5. themnax

    themnax Senior Member

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    sounds rather pointless to me. he might still not understand what you're talking about.
    and if he has figured it out and moved on, he probably doesn't need to be reminded.
     
  6. Strawberry_Fields_Fo

    Strawberry_Fields_Fo RN

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    Also people stabbing you. That hurts too.

    But really, why would you thank him for unintentionally being a bad example? Especially after 28 years. Seems like kind of a passive-aggressive dick move. Unnecessary. You learned the lesson, so just move on.
     
  7. dark suger

    dark suger Dripping With Sin!

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  8. themnax

    themnax Senior Member

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    life's most important lesson is that whatever anyone thinks they can get out of thoughtlessness, sooner or later it will come back around and kick them in the ass. and because the universe is statistical rather than either hierarchical or linear, it will most likely be in a form and at a time, when least expected. of course being statistical, there is also a slim chance it won't happen in the same lifetime.

    this effect is sometimes refereed to as karma.

    it isn't because the universe cares or needs to. it doesn't.
    (though it is unimaginably, if not limitlessly, diverse)
    and it doesn't depend on the will of god or gods.
    it's a purely mechanical function.
    just cause and effect. which is only non-obvious because of reality's statistical rather then linear nature.

    here's another one: we are all capable of being intimidated at some point, and easily enough killed, but nothing any of us can do, no tyrant, no matter how godlike their power or popular their support, can coerce, intimidate, bludgeon or other wise move, reality into being any less unimaginably diverse then it really is.

    reality doesn't prevent the rise of tyrants. neither does it prevent their fall.

    so if you want to live a happy life, don't trust your ego, or someone else's, or everyone else's either.
     
  9. Bilby

    Bilby Lifetime Supporter and Freerangertarian Super Moderator

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    I contacted Amway Australia and it would seem that he has either seen the light or gone overseas.

    It would seem to me that the whole aggressive brain washing culture of Amway is counter-productive to sales. When someone becomes greedy, they exude negative vibes become a generally less nice person and this puts potential customers off. It reminds me of two things: at the two local supermarkets sometimes there are market days. One staff member that otherwise nice people can become quite rude if they stocks run out. Also in a TV show when I was a kid called The Clangers for a while gold coins fell on the planet and private hoarding started accompanied with the old ugly avarice that disrupted the hitherto harmonious existence until it was discovered that the gold coins were made of chocolate and things returned to normal.
     
  10. Bilby

    Bilby Lifetime Supporter and Freerangertarian Super Moderator

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    I eventually got in touch with him. He was OK hearing from me. The reason he gave it up was when got married, his wife was not interested in selling Amway. What I found surprising was the whole experience did not give him any new perspective on life.
     
  11. MeAgain

    MeAgain Dazed & Confused Lifetime Supporter Super Moderator

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    Why should that surprise you?
     
  12. AmericanTerrorist

    AmericanTerrorist Bliss

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    I only vaguely know what amway even is or was....?
     
  13. -Yggdrasil-

    -Yggdrasil- Einherjar

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    I think it's a direction. Any direction.
     

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